About » Centre Staff

Address: Room 442, Robson Hall, 224 Dysart Rd., University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3T 2N2. Fax: 204-474-7580

Centre director

Dr. Adele Perry is a distinguished professor of history and women’s and gender studies. She is a historian of colonialism and imperialism, transnationalism, gender, sexuality, racism and western Canada in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Perry has published On the Edge of Empire: Gender, Race, and the Making of British Columbia, 1849-1871, Colonial Relations: The Douglas-Connolly Family and the Nineteenth-Century Imperial World and Aqueduct: Colonialism, Resources and the Histories We Remember. She co-edited People’s Citizenship Guide and four volumes of Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women’s History. Applying a historical perspective to contemporary human rights issues, Perry has challenged racism in health-care delivery and in her own profession, along with barriers to library access for people who are homeless. From 2003 to 2014, Perry held a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and she is a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and past president of the Canadian Historical Association.

She can be reached at 204-474-8107, 440 Robson Hall.

Manager

Dr. Pauline Tennent (she/her) is a settler scholar who has worked for the past ten years exploring issues relating to reconciliation, settler colonialism, social movements, and social justice. In particular, she has worked with young people to explore their understandings of health and equity, their access to healthcare, their experiences in the workplace, and their experiences of migration and settlement. Pauline has a Masters in Social Sciences from the University of Glasgow, and a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba. Her PhD explored how educators in Manitoba understand and experience Indigenous and settler relationships in Canada. Before joining the Centre, Pauline worked with IN●GAUGE at the College of Nursing, the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and the Arthur V. Mauro Institute for Peace and Justice.

Pauline can be reached at 204-474-6156, 442 Robson Hall.

Office assistant

Denise McInnes helped set up the Manitoba Institute for Materials before joining the Centre for Human Rights Research in 2016 in a part-time position. She previously worked as an office assistant for the chemistry department for 9 years and for Standard Aero for 11 years as a customer service specialist and export compliance officer. Denise is a certified geological technician, an active grandmother and community volunteer. Her usual office hours are Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday mornings.

Denise can be reached at 204-474-6453, 438 Robson Hall.

Speakers bureau

Human rights speakers bureau coordinator Faith Daza is a third year law student at the University of Manitoba. She completed a BA with an English major and a Labour Studies minor before attending law school. She’s had a lifelong interest in human rights and got involved with Pro Bono Students Canada to write blog posts for the Manitoba Association of Rights and Liberties on human rights specifically with a focus on labour and employment. More recently, she’s been involved in Level Justice which is a charitable organization that promotes human rights education and awareness in the legal community. Faith participated in Level’s Blazing Trails Mentorship Program, acted as the Level’s Manitoba Chapter Director of Outreach for Robson Hall and will be acting as President for the 2022-2023 year. In her sparetime, Faith enjoys geocaching, reading, and writing.

Student Research Assistants

Hannah Belec (she/her) is a final year Honors History student at the University of Manitoba. Hannah’s academic interests include museum education, interpretation, and curation, as well as women’s history. For example, Hannah is researching the material culture of Red River Métis women, specifically the Inkster-Sinclair women, to create an exhibit at the Seven Oaks House Museum.

Within the University of Manitoba student community, Hannah holds multiple leadership positions. She is currently the President of the University of Manitoba History Students’ Association (UMHiSA) and the Director of Academic Programming for the Arts Student Body Council (ASBC).

As a Student Research Assistant for the Centre for Human Rights Research, Hannah is eager to explore scholarship and policy on reproductive and bodily justice for the Period Poverty and Equity, On Campus and Beyond project.

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Ha (Cassie) Dong (She/Her) is a graduate student in the Joint M.A. program in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba. Her research interests include decolonization in peacebuilding and education, strategic peacebuilding, healing, and arts-based research. Cassie approaches research and education with an emphasis on curiosity, generosity, critical reflexivity, and deep engagement with the complexities and uncertainties of peace practices amid rising local and global challenges. Cassie is a PhD in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Outside of school, Cassie actively volunteers with various non-profits in Canada, the United States, Vietnam, Kenya, and Nepal in areas of conflict research, education, human rights, and sustainable development. She also serves as a mentor for Vietnamese youth through several educational programs in Vietnam. In 2020, Dr. Evelyn Mayanja and Cassie established the Stream of Life blog and podcast to share stories of conflict transformation and peacebuilding from diverse scholars, activists, religious leaders, and community leaders.

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Eliza Maharjan (she/her) is a fourth-year Environmental Studies student at the University of Manitoba. Her interests include environmental and climate justice and environmental communications. As a summer student, she is interested in exploring decolonization and sustainability and applying that knowledge in her further studies.

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Corey Petsnik is the Social Media and Website Coordinator for the CHRR. Among other things, he a PhD student in social psychology at the University of Manitoba. He maintains the Centre for Human Rights Research Twitter feed and Facebook page and assists with the centre’s website. His master’s research evaluated how witnessing ostracism affects observers’ views of human nature and their antisocial inclinations.

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Chloe Vickar (she/her) is a graduate student in the Master of Human Rights program at the University of Manitoba. She has a BA (Honours) in Women’s and Gender Studies and Sociology from the U of M. Her research interests include period poverty, menstrual justice, and 2SLGBTQ+ rights. In addition to the role of Project Coordinator for the Period Poverty and Equity, On Campus and Beyond project, Chloe is working remotely this summer in her master’s practicum placement at PERIOD., a non-profit organization in Portland, OR that focuses on service, education, and advocacy regarding period poverty and menstrual justice. 

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Laura Westfall (she/they) is Anishinaabe and a member of Whitesand First Nation. Laura is in her final year of a Political Studies (Honours) degree. She is interested in exploring decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty and Indigenous political theory. Laura will work with the CHRR and with Dr. Kiera Ladner at Mamawipawin as part of the Indigenous Summer Student Internship Program.